Last week, I went on a culinary tour of Greenville, SC. The tour was a birthday gift to my mom from me and my brother. It had been ages since just the three of us spent time together so we thought eating and drinking our way through the city would be a special way to have some quality time and celebrate our mom. Between the food, the wine and the scenery, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Today, I’m sharing all of the details with you in the hopes that you may be inspired to embark on your own culinary tour, whether it be on vacation or in your hometown.

Our tour, called At the Chef’s Table, was roughly three hours long and made up of five stops at five different restaurants. At each of the first four stops, we were given a small, appetizer-sized dish and a drink pairing, with the final stop providing dessert. The stops ranged from bistros with casual dining to high-end restaurants and we spent about 25 minutes at each place. A nice touch on the tour was that the chefs and sommeliers greeted us at each stop and explained their selections.

Stop One: Jianna

Our tour kicked off at Jianna, a modern Italian restaurant close to Falls Park. Jianna opened in 2017, which was after I moved away from home for college, so this was my first time there. The chef made risotto for us, pictured above. It was coupled with rice that was aged for one year in Italy. The sommelier paired the dish with Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is a red wine from the mountainous Piedmont region of northern Italy. Often grown just feet from the pricey Barolo and Barbaresco, Nebbiolo is a more affordable option.

Stop Two: Passarelle Bistro

After Jianna, we made our way to Passarelle Bistro, which is nestled right in front of Liberty Bridge. I’ve walked by Pasarelle Bistro thousands of times and always thought it looked adorable, but I had never been inside or eaten there before. The chef served us smoked salmon crepes. I loved the unlikely combination of the dish! The drink selection at Passarelle Bistro was a delicious, dry white wine. I’m a little mad at myself for forgetting to write down the specific kind.

The walk to our third stop included some of my favorite views in Greenville. John, our tour guide, would pause from time to time to give us a historical background on the landmarks we passed. Even though I grew up in Greenville, I learned new things about the city’s history.

In total, there were around twenty people on our tour. Half were Greenville locals and the other half were tourists. At some stops, we were seated at a community-style table and at others, we had our own table as a group of three.

Stop Three: The Lazy Goat

If I had to choose just one, this stop was my favorite on the tour. The chef prepared a seared scallop with a mix of couscous mushrooms, bacon and a mustard dipping sauce. All the rich flavors of this dish complemented each other beautifully! Plus, our table was seated with a lovely view of the Peace Center and the outdoor amphitheater. The drink pairing was a merlot. Sidebar: The tour is advertised to provide a variety of wine, beer and cocktails. However, it’s up to the drink managers and sommeliers to decide what will go best with the chefs’ dishes. We just happened to end up with wine at every stop.

Stop Four: Soby’s

Our fourth stop on the tour was Soby’s, a restaurant that prides itself on “New South Cuisine.” Soby’s is one of my favorites high-end places to eat in Greenville, so I was tad disappointed that they served us simple pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw. The drink pairing was another Merlot.

Stop Five: Nosedive

To cap off the night, we headed to Nosedive for dessert. There, we had cake donuts and mango sorbet drizzled in cayenne pepper sauce, with a cholate on top for the finishing touch. The dessert was a truly unique sweet and spicy combination.

Overall, I found that the culinary tour was a fantastic way to experience my hometown in a new light. I also thought that the tour was a fun and fresh gift idea. I’m all about experience presents. What’s better than experiencing something new while getting to spend quality time with a loved one? In addition to a birthday or holiday present, it could make for a romantic date night as well! If you’re intrigued by the idea of a culinary tour—whether it be in your hometown or on an exotic vacation—I highly recommend giving it a try.